Daniel Richter

Although he's an actor with only a few credits to his name, Daniel Richter secured his place in history after appearing as the leader of a tribe of ape-men in Stanley Kubrick's space opera, "2001: A Space Odyssey." Richter was already working as a professional mime when Kubrick, who had just won acclaim for directing the war-time satire, "Dr. Strangelove," asked Richter to help him choreograph the iconic "Dawn of Man" sequence in the beginning of the film. The sequence showed early humans using tools for the first time and Richter was hired by Kubrick to dress in an ape costume and play the tribe's leader. Kubrick enlisted Richter because he wanted to add a certain layer of authenticity to the sequence, given Richter's history as a professional mime. So Richter did extensive research on how apes move and act. In the film, he is credited as Moon-Watcher, a role which he is still remembered for today. Aside from his work in "2001," Richter also made a small appearance in the 1970 action-drama, "The Revolutionary," which also starred Academy Award-winning actors Jon Voight and Robert Duvall. In the late '60s Richter befriended the conceptual artist, Yoko Ono. Richter became a close friend to both Ono and her husband John Lennon, and is even credited as the director of photography for the 1972 documentary about Lennon's life, "Imagine."